Apparatus for electrolytically cleaning lamp stem lead wires



June 5, 1956 c. R. THOMAS 2,749,300

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLYTICALLY CLEANING LAMP STEM LEAD WIRES Filed April15. 1952 Inventor: CyPH R.Thomas W His Attorney United States Patent 62,749,300 APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLYTICALLY CLEAN- ING LAMP STEM LEAD WIRESCyril R. Thomas, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General ElectricCompany, a corporation of New York Application April 15, 1952, SerialNo. 282,345 1 Claim. (Cl. 204-200) My invention relates to apparatus forprocessing the mount-supporting bodies of incandescent lamps, dischargedevices or the like, and more particularly to means of general utilityfor supporting and making electrical connections to lead wires extendingthrough said supporting bodies and to apparatus for cleaning endportions of said lead wires.

The manufacture of electric lamps and discharge devices generallyincludes the manufacture of a support body in the form of a stem, aheader or the like for holding the filament or other electric energytranslation element of the electrical device and permitting the readysealing of said elements into an enclosing bulb or envelope. Suchsupport bodies have one or more leads extending therethrough forconducting electric currents to the translation elements of theelectrical device and are most usually made by fusing vitreous portionsabout said lead wires.

One object of my invention is to provide, in apparatus for makingelectrical devices of the character described, a means for automaticallymaking electrical connections to the lead wires of said electricaldevice. The means of my invention is applicable to apparatus wherein amount-supporting body of an electrical device is placed in a holder of acarrier and the processing thereof includes the passage of electriccurrent from said holder to the leads of said supporting body in thecourse of movement of said carrier. Said means provides a magnet forattracting and, through the resulting contact therebetween, makingconnection to a magnetic portion of a lead of the mount support body.The connection making means operates automatically when themount-supporting body is introduced into the processing apparatus and,accordingly, recovers the time used by manual or mechanical means forthis purpose and promotes the more rapid operation of the treatingapparatus and the carrier thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus for automaticallycleaning the oxidized end portion of a lead wire extending beyond amount-support body, such as a stem or header of an electrical device, byimmersion of said end portion in an electrolyte while maintaining anelectrical circuit between said end portion and said electrolyte. Theinvention may take the form of a machine comprised of a rotatablecarrier or turret having a plurality of holders at the periphery thereoffor retaining lamp stems with leads in a vertical position, and meansfor holding a bath of an electrolyte, and wash means at succeedingpositions below and along the path of movement of the holders. Means areprovided in combination with the holders and the turret for makingelectrical connections to the upper end portions of the leads to effectthe electrolytic cleaning of the lower end portions thereof during aninterval in which they dip into the electrolyte.

Further objects and features of the invention Will appear from thefollowing description of a species thereof and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view, with portions broken therefrom,of a machine for cleaning oxidation from end portions of metal leadsextending from an end of a glass stem of a high-wattage projection-typeincandescent lamp; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through approximatelyone half of the machine including the wash means thereof, the view beingmodified by the addition of a stem Patented June 5, 1956 in dot-dashlines at operating relation to said wash means; and Fig. 3 is a sideelevation at right angles to Fig. 2 of a stem and the holder therefor atthe moment the end portions of the leads of said stem are immersed inthe bath of electrolyte.

The machine shown in the drawing is comprised of a clockwise rotatableturret 1 having groups of five stem holders .2 on each of eightcorresponding segments 3 at the periphery thereof, and automaticallyadvances stems 4 placed in each of said holders 2 through the variousoperations of a cleaning cycle during the course of one revolution ofsaid turret 1.

The stems 4 are placed in the machine during the interval a turretsegment 3 is opposite an operator located at A, and are introducedtherein by threading the tubular mid-portion 5 (Fig. 3), comprising themain supporting body of the stem 4, through one of the openings or slots'7 at the periphery of the turret segment 3 and resting the flared end 8of said tubular mid-portion 5 upon the oblique or inclined surface 9 ofsaid segment about said opening "1'. The stem 4, at such times, isarranged so that the lowermost portion is the short so-called inner endportions it! of the metal leads i1 and 12, which are sealed into the endof the tubular mid-portion 5 opposite the flared end 8 and whichrepresent the portions of said leads 11 and 12 to be cleaned.

An exhaust tube 13 extending along the longitudinal axis of stem 4beyond the flared end 8 is arranged to enter a slot in the full verticalextent of the magnet 14. The upper end portions of the leads 11 and 12which are located on opposite sides of the exhaust tube 13 are, on theother hand, arranged to come within the magnetic field of the flat andgenerally vertical faces 14' of the magnet 14 on opposite sides of theslot, which faces represent the pole pieces of said magnet 14. The outeror upper end portions of the leads 11 and 12 are made of a magneticmaterial, in the present instance nickel, and need only be broughtwithin the field of the poles of the magnet 14 to be pulled intoengagement therewith.

The magnet 14 is supported between the top and bottom flanges of themetal bracket 15, between which flanges the magnet 14 is clamped by thescrew 16; and said bracket 15 is supported by the turret segment 3 towhich said bracket is attached by pins 17 and which is made fromnon-magnetic material such as an organic plastic.

The stems 4 are loaded into holders 2 while the holders are in motionfrom right to left. The turret 1 has a constant rate of rotation createdby driving means (not shown) in engagement with a lower portion of thecenter spindle 18 located beneath a table 19 arranged around and belowsaid turret it. The stems 4 are also loaded at a time when the turretsegments 3, which are attached by means of hinges 2% to the centerturret portion 1' in engagement with the spindle 18, are maintained atthe same level as said center turret portion 1' by a support roller 21on bracket 22 on the lower surface of said turret segment 3 riding uponthe highest elevation of a cam track 23 on the table 19.

Treatment of the stem first occurs when the turret segment 3, in whichit is held, is advanced over the arcuate tank 24 below the left (Fig. 1)side of the turret 1' and said turret segment 3 is lowered so as tocause the inner end portions it) of the leads l1 and i2 and the lowerportion of the sealed end 25 of the stem tube 5 to be immersed inelectrolyte contained in said tank 24. The downward motion of the turretsegments 3 results from the passage of said segment 3 to a positionabout the turret 1 where the support roller 21 therefor rides upon alower portion of the track 23 and is correspondingly at 'a'lowerelevation. 1 j

Timed with the immersion of the leads 11 and 12 is the application of alow voltage alternating current potential to each of the holders -2 onthe segment 3 by a commutator associated with the center turret portion1' so that a rapid chemical action results about the inner lead portionswithin the electrolyte. The circuit connection is made to the holders onsegment 3 by the wiping contact made between a leaf-spring type brush 26of the commutator and an arcuate metal strip 28. The brush 26 is mountedon a stationary block 27 of insulation material mounted upon the table19, while the strip contact 28 is connected through pin 29, flexiblecable 30, pin 31, the essentially L-shaped metal strip 32 and the pins17 to the bracket of the holders 2. The terminals of the source ofcurrent, which is not shown, are connected by a cable (not shown) to thebrush 26 and through the cable 33 and clips 34 to a carbon post 35having its lower end immersed in the electrolyte. The electric currentis, in turn, insulated from the other parts of the machine because boththe center turret portion 1 and the segments 3 are made from aninsulating material (preferably chemically resistant to the bath of theelectrolyte) and because of a heavy rubber coating covering the tank 24.In the particular instance illustrated alternating electric current inthe order of 3 amperes and 15 volts is applied to each segment 3 toclean the oxide and other contamination from the tungsten inner leads 10of the five stems 4 retained by said segment. The electrolyte in suchinstances is a water solution of potassium nitrate.

Further rotation of the turret 2 advances the stems 4 along the tank 24and carries the contact strip 28 from brush 26 to a second brush 26farther along the path of movement, and also carries the stems 4opposite a second post 35' in the electrolyte. A third brush 26" andpost 35 are located still farther around tank 34. In most instancescorresponding sources at the same potential are connected to each of thebrushes 26, 26 and 26" and the carbon posts 35, 35 and 35". Finally whenthe turret segment 3 reaches the end of the tank 24, the electricalcircuit is broken to the stems 4 by the advance of the contact strip 28beyond the brush 26" and saidstems 4 are raised above the electrolyte byan upward pivotal movement or tilting of the turret segment 3. The saidupward tilting of the turret segment 3 results from the advance of thesupport roller 21 therefor onto a higher portion of the track 23 andlifts said turret segment 3 to the same level or plane as the centerturret portion 1'. No futher direct action is preformed on the stems 4during the immediately succeeding motion thereof; however, said stems 4are free to drain to the tray 36 which is inclined so that theelectrolyte caught thereby is directed back to the tank 24.

The next operation performed upon the stems 4 occurs when the rotationof the turret 1 advances them to the extent that they pass intooperative relation to the wash means located around the right side (Fig.l) of the machine. At that time, the stems 4 are lowered, in the samemanner as when they were placed in the electrolyte, by a downwardtilting of the turret segment 3 resulting from the passage of thesupport roller 21 onto a lower surface of the track 23. This verticalrearrangement of the stems 4 drops the sealed portion 25 and the innerlead portions 10 into the path of jets of warm wash water emitted fromthe pipes 37, 38 and 39 (Figs. 1 and 2) located over the arcuate basin40, and causes clean wash water to flush the electrolyte from the stem4.

The period during which the stems 4 remain in the wash is relativelyshort as the segment 3 remains at the lower position only during a fewdegrees of rotation whereupon it is again raised and lifts said stems 4from the jets of wash water. The termination of the wash operation takesplace just as the first stem 4 in the segment 3 is advancing to theguide 41 and raises the said stem 4 to a position where the upper end ofthe exhaust tube 13 passes into the flared open end of the locatingchannel 42 of said guide 41. This last operation has the effect oflocating the exhaust tube 13 below jets of air emitted from openings inmanifold 43 mounted along a short extent of the movement of the stem 4so that any wash water that may have entered said exhaust tube 13through the opening 44 in the sealed portion 25 of said stem 4 is forcedtherefrom.

Both plates forming the guide 41 and the manifold 43, which is suppliedwith air through pipe 45, are sup ported at a fixed relation to theturret 1 by a metal band 46 extending upward from the side of the basin40. The basin 40 also provides the support for the pipes 37. 38 and 39which are separately supplied with water by the pipes 47, 48 and 49,respectively. The water discharged from the pipes 37, 38 and 39 anddraining from the stems 4 is caught by the basin 40, which also extendsalong a still further extent of the path of movement, and is drainedaway from the machine through pipe 50.

The full cycle of operation of the machine is completed when the stems 4pass over the tray 51 and to a position before the operator where theyare unloaded from said machine. The function of the tray 51 is to catchthe final drippings from the stem 4 and, since the tray is inclinedtoward the basin 40, it directs said drippings through the drain pipe 52to said basin 40.

While I have described one embodiment of the invention, I do not wish tobe limited to the particular form of the apparatus shown. It should beunderstood that many modifications of the precise manner by which myinvention can be used may be made without departing from the scope ofthe appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

Apparatus for electrolytically cleaning the exposed lower end portionsof a pair of lead wires projecting from the end of a glass lamp stemhaving a flared upper end with the upper ends of said lead wiresprojecting upwardly beyond said stern and being composed of magnetizablemetal, comprising a horizontal turret mounted for rotation in ahorizontal plane, a plurality of radially extending segmentsindependently hinged peripherally of said turret for tilting in avertical direction, the outer periphery of each of said segments beingslotted for receiving and supporting a plurality of stems in a generallyvertical position to be moved by said turret through a fixed path,magnetic contact means comprising a plurality of permanent magnetsmounted on said segments, one said permanent magnet being locatedadjacent each of said slots in position to attract thereto the upperends of the lead wires of a stem in the associated slot, a tank for abath of electrolyte located below and extending along a portion of thepath of movement of the peripheries of said segments and the stemstherein, jet means located below and extending along another portion ofthe path of movement of said segments and stems and arranged to directstreams of wash water at the lower ends of said stems, means operableupon rotation of the turret to successively effect tilting of saidsegments downwardly toward said tank and toward said jets to firstimmerse the lower ends of the lead wires on the stems carried therebyinto the electrolyte and to then expose the said wires to the streamsfrom said jets, means connecting said electrolyte to one polarity of asource of electrical energy, and means for connecting the severalmagnetic contact means on each segment to the opposite polarity of saidsource of electrical energy during the period each said segment islocated over said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS586,894 Bossard July 20, 1897 1,298,155 Anthony Mar. 25, 1919 1,453,419Thompson May 1, 1923 1,520,676 Koppin Dec. 23, 1924 1,836,066 EdisonDec. 15, 1931 1,908,830 Edison May 16, 1933 2,505,531 I Ellwood Apr. 25,1950

